Hawaiians fight GMO companies over ‘guinea pig’ status

On August 9th 10,000 people took to the streets in Hawaii’s Waikiki district to protest big biochemical companies such as, DOW, BASF, Syngenta and Dupont for their disregard for public safety and what many claim is causing a disturbing increase in birth defects.

They may have a legitimate complaint. In the U.S. mainland GMO crops are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. However, in Kauai, Hawaii they are being sprayed with 17x more pesticides per acre, which leaves many to wonder if the increase (ten times more than the national average over the last five years) in birth defects is a result of the inundation of chemicals.

Meanwhile Monsanto has been implementing advertising campaigns in schools in order to gain support and change their image, touting rhetoric that the well-being of the community is their number one priority. Many are not sold on these claims and are demanding stronger protection for their children against the agrochemical giants.